You’ve just been laid off from your company, and you need to make some money. Your friend mentioned in passing the other day that she had heard that a virtual assistant can make money with freelancing. But, can you REALLY make any money using these sites? Let’s take a look at one of the best quality freelance marketplaces where a virtual assistant can make money doing freelancing.
So, you’ve taken the bit in your teeth; and you’ve decided to take the leap and start your own virtual assistant business. Have you really thought this through? Do you have the equipment you need for your office? Have you decided on what services you will provide to your clients in your specialized niche? While I have seen it written in reports that most small businesses won’t even begin to turn a profit and start to become successful for two years, don’t let that dissuade you.
Well, I made it past the two-years and am well on my way to being a professional virtual and…writer! Below are the benefits I enjoyed when I first started out as a VA (and still do enjoy).
There are many reasons to start a new virtual assistance business, even in this down-turned economy. Well, as I sit here and think about it, here are a few of my personal favorites. Number one benefit is that you get to see new and sometimes exciting scenery. As I sit here reflecting on the benefits of working out of your home, I gaze out the window and see the birds twittering and singing in the trees. Look! There is a grackle at the birdbath dipping his food in the water to soften it, even in the softly falling rain that is falling on this wonderful Thanksgiving Day. Usually, it’s a piece of dog food that he has stolen from some unsuspecting dog that’s catching forty winks. It’s such a hard job, you know, being a watchdog.
My faithful cat, Yoda, sleeps next to me keeping me company. She’s not too interested in the birds now; she appointed herself as guardian of the birds and has been watching them all morning. She’s tired now. Sshhh, don’t disturb her; it’s time for her catnap.
The second benefit is that you have climate control. Brrr, it’s cold in the house. Hey, Sis. Would you mind turning the air conditioner down? Can you beat that? You can adjust your own thermostat to the temperature YOU like. You don’t have to wait for maintenance where you’re working to say – Well, everyone else is just fine. You’ll just have to put a sweater on or quit your gosh-darned complaining. Put some clothes on!
Now I know you will all like this benefit. You get to take your break when you want to. You can decide what hours you want to work. Got to take your child to the doctor? No problem. It’s up to you what you want to work, as long as you get out what you commit to your client. Speaking of my sis, she’s sitting next to me playing solitaire. She says “This is my breakfast break.” Shame on her — she should be working! She says “My job is done! You’re the cog in the wheel now.”
Oh, I forgot to tell you. When you work virtual, your faithful canine companion gets to lay by your side helping you work. The benefit? Your dog or cat does not have to be alone all day. If you have children, you are home when your children need you.
Oh, did I mention that the stress level is nearly, totally gone? You don’t have someone breathing down your neck. You don’t have scheduled annual or semi-annual reviews. Your supervisor doesn’t constantly harp that you must be a team member, you must do this job this way, etc. You can even have the radio on or the TV on low.
Working virtual is rewarding. I warn you, however, when you start your business, you will undoubtedly work more hours than if you were working full-time at a company. You know what though? You will enjoy it much more because you will be doing it for yourself. Many of you know my best friend, Dolly, that went to be with the Lord. We would work such long hours that we would fall asleep in our chairs at our desks.
Your expenses will be lowered. Now, wait until you hear this. You won’t have to buy gas, commute, travel long distances, or get stuck in traffic. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?
What about the clothes you wear for work? You won’t have to buy an expensive wardrobe. You can work in your pajamas if you want or dress as casually as you want when you work at home. Don’t feel like putting on makeup or slaving over your hair, Ladies? You got it. You can work from your home (as long as you don’t have clients coming to your home) being just the way you want to be. Shed those jackets and ties, Men. Relax and wear your grungiest t-shirt if you want.
Here is the main benefit – it is just wonderful and self-satisfying.
So if you are considering delving into the world of creating your own virtual assistance business, let me reassure you that you can do it. With perseverance and drive, you can do anything you set out to do. Why not take the leap and do it now?
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***Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make purchases using them. Please see our affiliate disclosure.***
Pam Lokker is a master writer and a virtual assistant professional. While we are not currently taking on new clients, Borlok Virtual Assistants has been the place to get global expert VA services with quality and on-time delivery for many years.
If you are brand new and would like some training, why not look into the Virtual Assistant Career on VAnetworking.com. (Affiliate link)
Updated 10/14/2022
Updated 6/9/2024
Positive customer relationships are the cornerstone of any successful business. In this article, we’ll explore the definition of a customer, the different types of customers, the benefits of fostering positive customer relationships, and strategies for maintaining them. Continue reading “Positive Customer Relationships Are Vital for Business”
Being successful in your life can have a huge impact in the way you feel about yourself. To me, being successful means that I have set my mind on something I want to achieve; say to myself; “I can do all things I can do, but first I must say I CAN; and then try, try and try again to complete that goal. Failure is not an option to me. Continue reading “Being Successful in 4 Different Areas of Your Life”
Increasing traffic to your website takes diligence. One of the key things to increasing traffic to your website, in my opinion, is ensuring that you have working links. You see, working links can be a gold mine and provide bountiful traffic and cash — and not be a bust. Let’s take a look at some of the things you can do to protect your website from turning away traffic. Continue reading “Increasing Traffic To Your Website”
Remember when Borlok Virtual Assistants took the leap and decided to migrate to a self-hosting website in order to be better equipped to keep up with the competition and provide services that our clients would like to see? Well, in order to do that, Borlok VA decided to migrate from WordPress.com over to WordPress.org.
This post has been updated 12/18/2014
***Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make purchases using them. Please see our affiliate disclosure.***
Now of course we went through all the fears and trepidations of deciding whether that was really the wise, strategic choice and did lots of research before deciding that it was truly the best course of action. We started out doing our research on WordPress.org and quickly came to realize that they had made the decision much easier for us.
WordPress.org goes out of their way to provide recommendations for hosting companies that will be compatible with their newest version and will meet their minimum requirements. For the well-being of their company, the partners at Borlok VA felt that no decision should be made lightly and took extra time to research each company that was recommended at http://wordpress.org/hosting/.
After examining the five sites they had listed and weighing the pros and cons of each, the partners decided to go with Blue Host. Among the various reasons we chose this company were that they were touted to have excellent customer service; but do they REALLY mean that? I mean, after all, we were going to need support if we got into trouble, right?
Read on my friends. Besides Bluehost (affiliate link) being affordable (something that small businesses with little budget can appreciate), they also have unlimited hosting space, unlimited file transfer, 24/7 support/customer service, and much more. They have a Help system that you really have to see to believe – videos to walk you through steps and well-laid-out documentation to make your life with them easier.
Remember that customer service we went with them for? Borlok VA found themselves in multiple situations where they needed help – and needed it as soon as possible. The method they chose to communicate with Bluehost was their Live Chat feature. Now I know that many of you will be looking for other reasons as their primary determinant on which self-hosting company to look for, but Borlok Virtual Assistants is totally satisfied with the customer service and services that Bluehost offers.
As a matter of fact, I just had the worst nightmare as far as one of our sites. Someone thought it would be neat to infect our site with bugs, worms, secret coding, you know, some of the yucky things that no business owner wants. Well, Bluehost was super helpful via their Live Chat, and VERY patient. After all, my knowledge only went so far. You could not ask for better customer service.
What is the bottom line for this company in our opinion? If you are looking to upgrade your WordPress.com website to a self-hosted site, then we highly recommend Bluehost. We have not had any negative experiences with them thus far. Therefore, the answer to our title, “Is Blue Host Really a Host and Do They Provide Excellent Service?” is YES.
Update 10/10/2016: We like Bluehost so well that we now have 4 websites with them:
https://www.borlokvirtualassistants.com
http://www.borloktranscription.com
http://www.borlokva.com
http://www.prepare2bugin.com
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Don’t have a website yet? Bluehost (affiliate link) can help you with that.
I am your virtual assistant but you are the reason we missed your deadline. Why you might ask? Read on to see the top three reasons we didn’t meet that all important end date. Continue reading “YOU Are the Reason We Missed Your Deadline”
There are many training methods to teach you how your business can be successful. Get several people together in a room and they might all have different ideas as to just what it takes to arrive at success, but here are 7 tips to get you started.
***Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make purchases using them. Please see our affiliate disclosure.***
I can just hear what’s going on in your mind right now. I can’t do that. I’m afraid. Your very first step is to repeat after me: I can do all I can do, but first I must say I CAN. That’s right. You need to have an attitude change right now. Eliminate negative thinking from your vocabulary. Starting right now, you are only to practice positive thinking.
When my partner and I first started out in business, we wished that someone would give us guidance on how our business could be a success – but there wasn’t anyone. We had to do research online and in books – and we made many, many mistakes. Not all of the information was good as we found out, but we kept learning, reading and practicing until we got it right.
What we found out is that success is a journey, especially if you like what you’re doing and it’s for your own business. Learning from experts gives you alternative methods of doing things that drive home concepts on how your business can be successful.
Slipping up and making a mistake is not the end of the world. “Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.” ― George Bernard Shaw
Mistakes give you a way to practice what you’ve learned in order to make it better. So don’t be so hard on yourself. Look at them as a way to better yourself.
Being organized is little more than implementing a system that will work for you. Remember your parents telling you “______ (Insert your name), put your toys away when you are done with them?” That was their way of teaching you to be organized. Managing time and establishing good work habits are additional ways to be organized.
Let me ask you a question. How can you possibly hope to improve your business if you don’t know what your competition is doing? Hmmm? Do some research online by checking their website and doing searches in your search engine to find out what they are all about. See what people are saying about them.
Don’t be afraid to talk to your clients either to see if they’ve done business with your competitors. You’d be amazed at what information you can get.
Be open to change. There are multiple reasons as to why you should stand firm and not run from it. Being flexible makes you stronger in withstanding the winds of change.
My last piece of advice to you for how your business can be successful is really quite simple, and here it is. Never, EVER, give up!
Today I’m going to discuss the top ways virtual assistants help SMBs be a success.
***Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make purchases using them. Please see our affiliate disclosure.***
Are you overwhelmed with tasks on your plate and have decided that you need a virtual assistant stat so you can have the success you were meant to have? It is possible you know. A successful SMB (Small to Medium-sized Business) can be achieved through hard-work, perseverance – and with a top-notch virtual assistant to help you out. (affiliate link).
Let’s do a little review first as to what a virtual assistant is.
According to VAnetworking.com, “a Virtual Assistant, or VA, is an executive level, administrative professional who works from his/her own office to support clients using some of the latest available technology.”
A virtual assistant is a useful person to have around because of their versatility, knowledge, and expertise. While each individual freelancer (also known as independent contractor) might have different skill sets, their potential can fall into one of the following categories:
Front office staff deal with your customers in such roles as marketing, sales and service. It wasn’t too long ago that when you said customer service, it was in a face-to-face environment. Now with technology, it is much easier to provide comprehensive customer service with the VA using email, phone, chat, tickets and even forums.
Freelancers can take your SMB to a whole new level of success by handling all those back-office tasks that keep your small to medium-sized business running smoothly. Some examples include accounting, Information Technology (IT) and other technology, or compliance.
Middle Office roles typically are related to the financial services industry. Analysts, project management, risk management and legal/compliance would fall into this category.
You are not just limited to what I have mentioned above for office support, and there actually might be overlap between the different areas. On one website I saw, there were 101 different roles and responsibilities that a freelancer might be able to help you out. To really see just how much a virtual assistant can help your small to medium-sized business be a success, just take a look at this list at VAnetworking.com.
So what do you need a virtual assistant to do? Do you need help with marketing campaigns, transcription, setting up/managing webinars or seminars or events? Sit down and make a list of those things that you want to do (or need to do) and delegate the rest of your office and administrative duties to your virtual assistant. You won’t be sorry you did.
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Pam Lokker is a skillful writer and virtual assistant professional. Borlok Virtual Assistants is the place to get global expert Virtual Assistant services with quality and on-time delivery.
Go Here to see our latest website.
What better reason could there be for why you shouldn’t wait to start using a freelance marketplace except that Upwork has just recently published a press release on the 20 fastest-growing skills for freelancers in Q3 2017.
Think about this: More than one in three workers – reportedly 53 million Americans are now freelancers. That means that regardless of whether you are a Small- to Medium-sized Business (SMB) or a Fortune 500 corporation, you have ready access to independent contractors with a shipload of skills and talent who are looking for freelance jobs online.
There are many reasons that companies are beginning to look at the benefits of using a freelance marketplace for outsourcing needs. Let’s look at the top 6 reasons:
Using freelance marketplaces is a way for companies to save on expenses like wages, overtime, benefits, space and more.
When hiring teams or individuals from a freelance marketplace, you have wide diversity in the number of freelance profiles, portfolios and feedback that you can review to ensure you are making a wise choice.
The number of categories and sub-categories from which you can choose freelancers from are wide and varied. There are categories like IT, Web, Mobile, Design & Multimedia, Office & Administrative, Project Management and many more.
SMBs and Fortune 500s can now enjoy the flexibility of adding or lessening the amount of people needed to work on projects or jobs as dictated by client and customer demand. Look at your major holidays where you will need extra manpower (especially Thanksgiving, Christmas and marketing campaigns). Add and subtract independent contractors easily and quickly – even right now!
Using the freelance marketplaces allow companies to get the right talent – globally. Sometimes it’s possible that a company may need a talent or skill that is difficult to find within the local market or geographical region. With the large numbers of skilled workers in the marketplace, companies are much more apt to find just who they need for the job.
Managers can decide on when they want a project completed. They can set up the project with one deadline date or multiple milestone dates. They can also require status reports to be kept abreast of the freelancer’s progress. In addition, the major freelance marketplaces usually provide robust reporting for review.
Freelance marketplaces do their best to provide the employer (or buyer) a safe platform during hiring, working and paying. Some of them like Upwork or Guru take this one extra step by providing an escrow system. This helps ensure that the employer only pays for work done that has been received – and approved. In addition, many places have timers that ensures the employer only pays for time worked.
So act now. Don’t wait any longer to start using a freelance marketplace to complement your existing staff. You won’t regret it.
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Pam Lokker is a skillful writer and proficient virtual assistant. Borlok Virtual Assistants is the place to get global expert Virtual Assistant services with quality and on-time delivery.
Revised 12/23/2017
What Are Five Key Things a Company Should Look For When Hiring a Freelancer Writer
If the time has come for your small business to outsource, there are five key things a company should look for when hiring a freelance writer. First of all, let me explain what a freelancer is.
According to Wikipedia, “A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is a person who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long-term.” Another term that is sometimes used interchangeably with freelancer is independent contractor. You can usually find good freelancers through freelance marketplaces like elance.com or odesk.com, as well as other places.
The freelance industry has changed a lot in the past few years. The types of jobs have become much more versatile with independent contractors being accomplished web developers, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experts, freelance writers, software developers, administrative support personnel, and many more. Just recently I discovered this statement in Forbes, “The freelance economy is the future of work. At least, that’s how the labor market sees it. An estimated one in three Americans—or 42 million people—is a freelancer.” (2/11/2014, Why the New Freelance Economy is Great For Your Small Business”)
That means there are a lot of skilled workers out there, but you do need to be careful to do your research. So let’s take a look at those five key things I mentioned earlier that will increase your chances of finding a freelancer that you will be happy with.
This list of five key things that a company should look for when hiring a freelance writer is by no means a complete list. There are other things to consider such as is the individual a team player, is he or she an excellent communicator, does the individual provide excellent customer service (Yes this is important; after all, you are their customer). But if you keep the above in mind, you should be well on your way to getting a great freelance writer.
About the author: Pam Lokker is a skillful writer and proficient virtual assistant. Borlok Virtual Assistants is the place to get global expert Virtual Assistant services with quality and on-time delivery.
